Can Japan Become the ‘World’s Most AI-friendly Country’?
The deterioration of security in the Indo-Pacific has generated a great deal of discussion in Japan about the sustainability of the pacificist provisions in its constitution. Not surprisingly,...
View ArticleA Clash of Values: Human Rights and Environmental Standards vs. Free Trade
A new norm is emerging at the intersection of business, human rights, and environmental standards, increasingly endorsed by social groups, corporations, investors, and governments. Traditional free...
View ArticleWhat Is Ishibanomics?
On October 9, Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru is expected to dissolve the House of Representatives (Japan’s lower house), calling a snap election to be held on October 27. As a newly elected president of...
View ArticleUK to Cede Chagos Islands to Mauritius, But US Base Will Remain
On October 3, the governments of the United Kingdom and Mauritius finalized an agreement that would see the Chagos Islands returned to Mauritian sovereignty. Both Mauritius, an island nation off the...
View ArticleChina’s ‘Gifts’ of Parliament Buildings in Africa Are a Wake-Up Call for...
Imagine stepping into your nation’s parliament building – a symbol of democracy, sovereignty, and national pride – only to discover it was designed, built, and is still maintained by a foreign...
View ArticleNepal Urges China to Share Data Required for Flood Management
More than 200 people have died in Nepal as a result of extreme weather conditions during this year’s monsoon season. Incessant rain lashed much of eastern and central Nepal, causing devastating floods....
View ArticleKazakhstan and Uzbekistan: New Domestic Violence Laws and the Protection of...
In August, a 17-year-old schoolgirl in Kyzylorda finally returned to her family after enduring months of sexual slavery at the hands of her classmates. The multifaceted failure of school officials,...
View ArticleWhat Can the US Expect From Sri Lanka’s New President?
Sri Lanka begins a new political era under the presidency of Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who was elected in September following an economic crisis in 2022 that brought down the previous government and...
View ArticleCompeting Sectarianisms in Malaysia
In July, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Unity government, through Minister for Religious Affairs Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, introduced the new Mufti Bill for the Federal Territories. The bill, the...
View ArticleThe Bangladesh Army Must Not Meddle in Politics
In late September, Bangladesh’s army chief, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, did something unprecedented — he gave an interview to the press and discussed politics. Unlike its Pakistani counterparts,...
View ArticleCan China Sustain Its Diplomatic Balance as Middle East Tensions Escalate?
As conflict escalates in the Middle East, particularly between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, the region is on the brink of a full-scale conflict. Israel has launched a ground offensive in...
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How a UNHCR Employee Died After Being Tortured by Myanmar’s Military
At least 10 people were reportedly murdered or went missing at Buthidaung town in Myanmar’s Rakhine State during the violence when the Arakan Army (AA) liberated it from junta control. Suffering the...
View ArticleWomen’s Rights in Afghanistan: Will the Taliban Adhere to CEDAW?
In a move that has been described as groundbreaking, Canada, Australia, Germany, and the Netherlands have expressed their intent to take the Taliban to the International Court of Justice (ICJ)....
View ArticleJapan’s Foreign Policy Beyond the US Presidential Election
Ahead of the 2016 U.S. presidential elections, the Japanese embassy in the United States was most likely expecting a victory for the Democratic Party’s former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, but it...
View ArticlePhilippine President Signs Bill to Stimulate Domestic Defense Industry
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday signed into law a bill that aims to develop a “robust and sustainable national defense industry” and to reduce its reliance on imported sources of...
View ArticleAnwar Ibrahim in Russia: Opportunism or Hatred of the West?
Anwar Ibrahim can’t seem to stay away from Russia. The Malaysian prime minister, once the darling of Western claqueurs, visited Vladivostok last month for the Eastern Economic Forum, where he praised...
View ArticleThe Plight of the ‘Zainichi’ Koreans
In December 2023, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un outright rejected the idea of reunification with South Korea. Kim argued that North-South relations were no longer relations between compatriots, but...
View ArticleDetained Filipino Preacher Registers to Run in 2025 Senate Election
A detained Filipino preacher who faces charges of sexual abuse in both the Philippines and the United States has registered to run in the country’s Senate elections next year, in an apparent attempt to...
View ArticleSri Lanka’s New President Meets India’s Foreign Minister in Colombo
Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar’s visit to Colombo on October 4 marked the first high-profile foreign engagement following the election of Sri Lanka’s new president, Anura Kumara...
View ArticlePakistan to Host SCO Summit Amid Political Turmoil
Islamabad will host the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of Government meeting on October 15 and 16, marking an important milestone in Pakistan’s foreign policy. This event will...
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